How to Deal With a Traffic Stop: Guns For Beginners

Police aren’t always the nicest people on planet Earth. To be fair, the people they interact with aren’t always peaceable, law-abiding types either. As for the officer above — who drew his gun on these motorists and assured the driver that he, the police officer, was ready to shoot — we don’t know the totality of the circumstances. Suffice it to say, gun owners have special reason to take care when stopped by cops . .

Even in states where you aren’t legally obliged to tell the officer you’ve got a gun, consider doing so. If a police officer suddenly sees a firearm that he didn’t know about (because you didn’t tell him or her), that’s not going to be a welcome sight. An unpleasant surprise, in fact. Not good.

Before that, when you see the flashers coming after you, I suggest immediately putting on your hazard lights. This indicates compliance — even if you intend on traveling some distance to a safe location to stop.

I also suggest lowering ALL your windows (regardless of your window tinter’s advice) and turning on the interior lights (if it’s nighttime). If an officer can see everything and everyone in the car, he’s going to be less concerned about realizing his worst fear: a deadly ambush.

Get out your driver’s license, hold it in one hand and place both hands on the steering wheel. I recommend holding both your license and your handgun permit (if you have one) and handing both documents to the officer upon request.

Don’t move and do what the officer tells you to do — noting that you do NOT have to consent to a search of your vehicle without a search warrant. And don’t do anything the officer doesn’t tell you to do.

That said, if you believe a command puts you in immediate danger (e.g., if something seems out of place, say at night, in a dark place, and/or the officer asks you to step away from the camera – things that seem outside the normal business of a police officer) consider respectfully declining to comply. Ask for another officer to be present.

If you’re faced with contradictory or dangerous instructions — in this case the officer told the driver to put his keys on the roof then got all bent out of shape when the driver exited the car to follow his instructions — ask for clarification while remaining still.

I keep my insurance in the glove box. Before retrieving it, I ask permission. “My registration is in the glove box. May I reach over and get it?”

Move slowly. Be polite and courteous. Treat a police officer at least as well as you would treat a waitress. If the officer does something rude or illegal (e.g., searches the car without permission), ask for another officer. The time to really make a stink is later.

If an officer asks to see/handle your firearm, do NOT immediately comply. “Officer, I’d prefer it if you took the gun from me. How would you like to proceed?” It’s entirely possible that a second officer will make the scene at the exact moment you have your gun in your hand. Not good.

Some people will read these instructions and say they indicate craven subservience to the state. So be it. I reckon it’s better to be safe than a social justice warrior.

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Some of this is good advice. For example, I had never considered turning on interior lights if stopped at night.

However, unless your drivers license and handgun permit are clipped to the visor or somewhere else very easily reached without rummaging or shifting around, then fine, but I have heard from more than one cop that they definitely pay attention to the vehicle rocking or the driver shifting around before they approach the vehicle.

The advice I received in my LTC class was to do the following. safely pull off and where possible leave as much room as possible between your vehicle and the main lanes for the officer to safely approach the drivers door, kill the engine, lower the windows, then place your hands at 10 and 2 and wait for the officer to approach (I will be adding switching on interior light to this routine). When the officer approaches announce that you are licensed to carry a weapon and are/are not currently carrying a weapon in the vehicle (in Texas your handgun license is linked to your vehicle registration so they know already and on the one time I have been stopped since getting my LTC the officer asked if I was carrying a weapon first thing as soon as he got to my window). Then wait for them to respond and follow their commands slowly and deliberately.

Good advice from your LTC instructor. Good info on the linkage of data, too. Vehicle plate shows the owner, which shows drivers and carry licenses. If you’re driving a spouse’s car or anyone else’s, it’ll show THEM or anyone listed on their insurance who’s a licensed carrier.

It also shows the vehicle’s current inspection and registration, so in Texas, there’s no “pink slip” to carry around.
Things I add for my LTC students:

As you mentioned, you shouldn’t rummage around in your pockets or the glove box as the officer approaches. From their vantage point, all they see is you getting something ready or else trying to hide something. The former is dangerous, the latter can provide probable cause and get your car searched without consent or warrant.

In Texas, your insurance policy is linked to license and registration, too. It’s called the TexasSure program. The officer already knows whether the vehicle is properly insured. So wait to be asked for anything. Lowering windows and turning on hazards and interior lights is great, but be sure you know exactly how and do so swiftly. Don’t fumble around and don’t open your door as a means of turning on your cabin lights.

In Alabama and many states there is no possible way to link the license plate of the car to who has a CCW. My daughter drives a car in my name, yet she has no CCW. Even with your driver license, I got it straight from the man who is in charge of all of this at our Sheriff’s Dept on our Armed Alabama Radio Show on May 3 that an LEO must call in your Driver License to find out if you have a CCW. You can hear the podcast of that show at:http://armedalabama.com/show-archive

There are less than 10 states that require you to tell an LEO that you have a firearm when stopped. As a firearms instructor also and a circuit judge for 18 years, if your firearm is not in plain view and is not in a place you will have to access during the stop I advise my students not to tell the officer for two reasons. 1. It is a improper question, such as “where are you going so late at night?” 2. You have a one in three chance of running into an LEO who is going to think you are “playing policeman” and he will disarm you (very dangerous) may attempt to search your car, and in general delay you. Read what happened in New Orleans when law abiding citizens answered truthfully that they had a gun in the car as they were trying to get out of that wrecked city. Their cars were ransacked and their guns were stolen. I also ran a 35 man police force for a decade and I know how cops think, hell I used to think that way.

Unless I’m in a duty to inform state, I only advise the officer I’m carrying if I’m asked to get out of the car. My gun is concealed in an IWB holster and the officer simply is not going to see it. I just don’t see notification as necessary if you are polite, acknowledge what you did (presuming it is just a simple traffic violation), follow all the other rules about interior lights, windows, 10-2, etc., and then you can sign for your ticket and move on from what should be a simple traffic stop.

If I’m asked to step out of the vehicle, then I say that I have a LTC and a firearm (not a “GUN!”) concealed on my right hip, and ask how do you want to proceed.

That’s just my take. People can disagree with that, but I’m not about make a simple moving violation turn into a get out of the car, full pat-down, removing my firearm from my person and taking it out of my control, and possibly searching my car, just to make an office feel “safe” for something he doesn’t know about anyway and I have no ill-intent to use criminally.

I’ve done it both ways and I ultimately prefer notification only if I’m put in a position where the officer may see the gun.

Answer the cop’s questions TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY LAW, and NOTHING more.

I’m not interested in having conversations with cops by the side of the road, a figurative or literal gunpoint. A supposed traffic citation doesn’t require a lot of chitchat. In all likelihood, he’s fishing. Don’t take the bait.

If you do a lot of rummaging around and reaching for the floorboard, the courts have ruled that such “furtive movements” enable the officer to essentially “pat down” both your person and the area within your reach, regardless of consent.

Also, in most states if the officer smells marijuana emitting from your vehicle it gives him the ability to do a warrant less search regardless of your consent.

If your vehicle is impounded most departments will do an inventory to document anything of value in the car.

I’m sorry I can’t remember the name of these court cases off the top of my head. Long story short, if you get pulled over put your hands on the wheel, have your license ready, and don’t go reaching places without telling him or her first. If you want to film him feel free, and keep in mind you can film your interaction without being obnoxious about it.

“What I say is, that the real non-resistants can believe in direct action only, never in political action. For the basis of all political action is coercion; even when the State does good things, it finally rests on a club, a gun, or a prison, for its power to carry them through.” – Voltairine de Cleyre

The peace officers here don’t “pull over” very many… no “license” is required to carry a gun, OC or CC… No “duty” to inform them if you do, and they are not apt to ask you. Pretty much a non problem here for ordinary folks.The only time I was involved in a “stop,” the driver and I were on the way to a gun show. Both of us were carrying openly. The officer issued a verbal warning for my lead foot friend, and we spent at least 15 minutes then discussing the gun show. The officer was bummed because he figured all the good stuff would be gone by the time he got there after work…

Y’all need to get out of those damned cities, and anywhere else the “cops” are predators….

It’s not just the cities where the police are predators. Many small departments have the same brand of officer as your large ones. No matter where you are, the type of person who wants to make a career of exercising state authority over the masses is generally the type of person I don’t want exercising state authority over the masses.

All 3 of the “people” in this video are oxygen thieves. If every time a cop pulls someone over for speeding he is thinking about an “ambush”, probably time to look for other work. Driving 92 in a 70 is always a bad idea as is jumping out of the car to confront someone with a gun when you don’t have one. And lastly listening to your girlfriend will get you put in jail or worse every time.

I had my first encounter with a cop while carrying this week and it was a totally pleasant experience. He was set up on a motorcycle behind a tree clocking people coming down a hill (kinda bullcrap) and had me coasting at 50 in a 35.

I told him immediately that I was carrying and he said “cool. whatcha got?”. I told him a SIG P320 and he said “nice, I’m a SIG guy myself”. He told me to leave it alone, went and ran my record, and then let me off with a warning.

He was a cop looking to write speeding tickets and let me off with a warning. Why is that? I believe it’s because we are both POTG.

I don’t know if my state has a duty to inform, but open carry, including in cars, is perfectly legal. When approaching the car, especially at night, they hang back and shine their flashlights around to see if they can find any contraband. I get pulled over, the guy comes up to the passenger side doing the flashlight fishing. When he gets to the window I tell him there is a gun in the car. He asks where. I say “right there on the passenger seat”

Get yourself the “CCW” app on your phone. It’s great. Will tell you all the rules and regulations of your state and constantly updates as you move through other states. As soon as I cross a border I can just look at the app and instantly know all the rules and regulations of the state I just entered.

I am currently on an 0 and 9 streak. As in 9 pull overs and 0 tickets going back almost ten years. I live in Missouri, have pro gun stickers on my car, am always extremely polite to the officer, and bring up the subject of my concealed weapon immediately. It almost always results in a friendly pro gun discussion. The one time it didn’t was with a female cop who asked “what’s this and why do I need it?” when I handed her my CCW. Go figure but, still…….can’t beat 0 and 9. And one of those potential tickets was also a +22 if you can believe it. I still don’t know how I rolled away from that one with just a warning.

I’ve never had a ticket because I am always polite, and they have always been the same to me. I even had an officer let me follow him back to the interstate (I was lost) back in pre-GPS days. He pulled over to let me pass him and take the exit. I leaned out the window to tell him his tail light was out, and he better get it looked at so he didn’t get a ticket. He just laughed and told me not to get lost again. 😉

1. Roll down windows BEFORE you stop…this allows the pot smoke to dissipate more quickly.
2. Keep one or two illegal aliens in the trunk at all times….if things are looking bad for you, pop the trunk and they go running, they make great decoys while you get away. (no this is not racist! I did not state any race or nationality)
3. any guns used in a crime should have already been discarded…if not, slip it under the passenger seat and immediately tell the officer that your passenger just slipped a gun under his seat. You have now ingratiated yourself with the officer and the passenger will bear the burden of the illegal weapon.
4. When stopping, use the hand brake to initiate a skidding stop that will position your vehicle perpendicular to the police car when stopped. This provides the officer with a clear view of the occupants, plus you get points for style.
5. Yell..HE HAS A GUN!!! burst into laughter and say just kidding…they love a good joke.
6. Lastly, if you are drinking, dont be a douche….offer the man a cold one, he works hard too.

FOR ANY IDIOT THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND, I AM BEING SARCASTIC….ANY USE OF THE ABOVE ADVISE WILL LIKELY LAND YOU IN JAIL, THE HOSPITAL OR THE MORGUE.

1). Throw as much stuff out there window as you can over as long as distance as possible. Throw a bag of weed out and they will see it and obtain it. But throw 12 paper bags, a few soft drinks, a bag of leaves, etc out (along with your weed) over the course of a few miles and capture becomes less probable.

2). If possible, always drive in teams. Divide and conquer is an age old remedy that works. In a two car team one car can toss a bail of hay sized weed brick out the vehicle. The cop in pursuit of this vehicle allows the second car to immediately collect the bail of weed while eliminating possession of the evidence by officers. Then proceed to step 3 below.

3). Invest and purchase police band radio jammers. Coordination and communication is 100% of the cops ability to converge on your position.

4). When the cops attempt a PIT maneuver on your vehicle throw strawberry shakes at them. Try to bounce the shakes/malts off the bullbar for total coverage of their windshields. Bonus points if you hit them through the drivers side window.

5). Make a plan for a diversion or set a trap for the pursuing vehicle. Have a location prearranged for this and hurdle strawberry shakes at the pursuing vehicle until you arrive.

6). Just like in the movies, if you get pulled over jump out of the vehicle screaming “bees!” And roll around on the ground as if you are actually being stung by them. Smash some strawberry shakes into your face, hair, and all over your body so the arresting officer will be hesitant to body slam you (he won’t want to be covered in that crap trying to arrest you.). If he does manage to arrest you try to get as much strawberry shake on him, and in his vehicle as possible. Induce vomiting in the back of his sedan for a nice smelly surprise.

i see why you are “anonymous” you RACIST…what do you have against Chocolate shakes? Too BROWN for you!! WHat about Vanilla Shakes!??? or even Banana shakes too Asian for you!!!!!!!!!!! What if I like OREO blasts!!!!!! you racist Bastard!!!!! You could have just said “shakes”…but you just gotta give the succulent strawberry all the props.

I personally suggested strawberry because it’s my least liked shake. An Oreo blast couldn’t be hurtled from the vehicle because the cup would be empty (I would have ate it). You have to stock shakes that you don’t like and thus aren’t going to eat. In fact, it’s best to let them reach room temperature and grow mold. This both makes it more chunky and more difficult for the pursuing police car’s wiper to take care of, but also in the event you are arrested, it benefits you when you smash it in your hair, face, body, etc. An officer isn’t going to want to get milkshake all over him arresting you, but he definitely isn’t going to want to get moldy, putrid, rank, fermented milkshake all over him.

It’s also not a bad idea to carry a large, square, dark chocolate bar. When you are stopped take the bar out of the wrapper and run up to the officer with it has he approaches because he may need a snack and will appreciate you giving him some chocolate.

Police have a dangerous job and I dont feel as tho any of this advice is intrusive to my rights.

They have every right to disarm you in a stop and making things easy on them makes it easier on you.

I’ve been pulled over man times for all sorts of things and never has an officer wanted to disarm me. I’ve always lowered my windows, turned on my hazards, dome light, handed over both my IDs and informed them of my firearm that is usually on my hip or back. Never had a bad interaction in multiple states

I would never willingly let those incompetent crazies touch my firearms. They would be liable ND themselves trying to unload it and then you would get the chair. Friend of mine got pulled over with a Dirty Harry 44 and the cop looked into the muzzle.

Unless you’re being detained for a criminal offense, police cannot take a lawfully carried weapon off your person during a stop. They can make you exit the vehicle and have backup keep an eye on you, but police cannot legally disarm you for a traffic infraction, at least in my state.

That’s NOT the case in Ohio. They can disarm you during a stop, and you must inform them IF YOU ARE ARMED. Needless to say, they try to push the envelope to make you inform WHEN NOT ARMED. I refuse to do so and have no more legal duty to inform when NOT armed than I do to recite the Shahada in Albanian.

Mostly good advice. I came across someone in a vehicle (he didn’t know I was coming up to his passenger side window) holding a gun once while looking at some guys on a corner. The fact that he immediately dropped it and didn’t so much as breathe saved his life.

Turns out he wasn’t going to do a drive-by, he was just an idiot. But, not being psychic, I couldn’t know that until afterwards.

I seem to average a speeding ticket at least every 10mo. Seems like I always have time to go ahead have my license and insurance and registration out by the time they finish running my plates and checking their Facebook or whatever the hell they do on the dash laptop.
Also you normally have time to take off your radar detector and hide it. Every now and then it wont catch a cop quick enough if they are in a good blind curve or something. They seem to give you the max ticket if they see a radar detector.
I’ve only been asked one time if I had any guns in the truck. I said “I’m not required to answer that but to make you feel better everything is within Florida vehicle and concealed carry law requirements.” Got off on a 61 in 55mph instead of 81 in a 55. (Radar detector hidden)

I’ve made disclosure to the local po-po twice, in MA, where there is no duty to disclose. Once when I was knocked off my bike (no broken bones), and the other time when I was pulled over for running a full red light (no ticket!).

Both times, the cops couldn’t have cared less. Their expressions were like “So what?” I might as well have told them that I was carrying spare change.

I like the cops in my town. They’re solid citizens. But I’m not sure that I would make the same disclosure in Boston, which is a city full of sheep and pigs.

My general take on this video that the cop was an escalator. His approach to every traffic stop is an ambush means he need to seek a new line of work. This kind is what give cops a bad name. The perps were being reactive to being treated like scum.

Not sure where I got this advice, but never use the word “gun.” Police use the word to notify each other if they see one, and a partner on the passengers side might react badly hearing that word.
“Occifer, I have a weapon” or “I’m carrying” avoids misunderstanding. For no known reason I add the location to further reassure the nice man. “Occifer I have a CHL and I’m carrying a weapon on my right hip, inside my shirt collar, inside my left boot, I have grenades in the glove compartment, and an atom bomb in the trunk.”
That always makes them feel relaxed!

There’s no reason to mention “gun,” “carrying” or any words to that effect if you’re pulled over and you have concerns. Just hand Officer Friendly your license, registration and your CCW, and go from there.

Of course, if the officer is like the famous ex-officer Daniel Harless, he’s going to go batshit crazy no matter what you do, so get it on video.

I’m siding with the cop on this, this kid is a “entitled” kid….he jumps out of the car after not pulling over for a long, long time. He gets out then gets in, starts running his mouth about how mom told him how to properly pull over? I was thinking stfu kid.
I would think what this cop was thinking….speeding…not pulling over…two people in the car…..door opens and guy jumps out of car….wtf?
He’s got something in his hands?
Then they both start spouting bs about the officers name and they do have that nice/nasty tone that others here have mentioned.
I say be respectful and don’t demand the cop do what you say when he pulled you over for speeding.
Be calm….be courteous …be on your way.
Honestly i stopped watching after a couple of minutes…..bs kids.

Eh. The officer lost most/all sympathy when giving contradictory commands (turn off your car! roll down your window!), and when he could clearly be heard yelling, “I will shoot you!”, even when not presented with a threat justifying the use of deadly force.

I agree with most about how one should behave when stopped by a cop. But. here in Florida one isn’t obligated to inform. I have only been pulled over one time here in Florida in the last 20 years. It was a local city cop and out of respect. I informed him I was armed. His response was and in no unfriendly manner.” I didn’t show you mine so no need to show me yours.”. While pleasantly surprised by his response. He must have known I was on my way to the range since its the only thing on the road I was stopped on. I got a warning and a have nice day and good evening shooting at the range.
When I lived in NY and got stopped all the time. I never let them know crap……….didn’t have to.

Nope got me a ticket for littering in NY at a traffic stop for speeding. Tossed a butt out the car window as the trooper was walking up to my car. He ordered me out of my car to pick it up and I said NOPE. Not unless he stopped traffic both ways. Which he refused to do.
Then in court when I told the judge my story. Id take the 4 days in county lockup because I refused to pay the $100 littering fine and wouldn’t do any community service. He dismissed it and the speeding ticket too.

Just being straight up honest when pulled over will sometimes get you a warning instead of a ticket for minor traffic violations. At least if the officer is in a good mood. I’ve learned that cops absolutely hate excuses and made-up stories.

I have to support the officer in this. I thought he exhibited great restraint. The (I won’t say obnoxious) driver continued on his way even after clear instructions to pull over immediately and with the siren blasting for a long time without any apparent acknowledgement. The officer is right to expect the worst when, after finally pulling off, the driver ignores his instructions to put the keys on the roof and actually gets out of the car. The time to discuss the window tinting issue and any supposed compromises to the safety of the vehicle’s occupants is when the vehicle driver files his claim for damages with the department. “I was cut off…” and “my father was a cop…” and “the window tinter said I can’t roll down my window…” all sound like lame excuses. Which they are.

Yeah, the driver is a dick but it’s pretty clear about 2:15 into this video that the cop is your stereotypical “douche cop” and needs a good swift kick or 50 straight to the balls.

“Turn off the car!”

“Put the keys on the roof!”

“Don’t open the door! Get back in your car!”

Um… what? Hey retard, it’s not 1985 any more. These days most cars don’t let you operate the windows with the key out of the ignition or the ignition in “off” and there is no “roller”. Guy shouldn’t have gotten out, but I’m seeing signs of paranoia from the cop here.

Won’t give his name “It will be on the ticket”… at this point I’m calling 911 and requesting a supervisor and multiple marked cars. Fake cops are out there and when you refuse to ID yourself AS a cop, I suspect you are not a cop. Sorry, I ain’t getting capped twice in the head by some psycho with a fake cruiser and a uniform he bought online.

Not pulling over immediately… Well apparently this cop is a full blown retard. F&^k me for trying to make it a safe traffic stop officer. While we’re at it, f&^k you too. If I wanted to run from you I’d be doing 100… retard.

“…you’re trying to devise a plan to kill me…”

Paranoid much or did you just graduate from an academy recently where they teach this “everyone is a tango” wannabe operator nonsense?

My friend’s husband just graduated and joined the local Sheriff’s department and that’s what they were teaching, fortunately he’s former military and told the younger guys that not everyone is a “tango”. I didn’t believe it until I met one of his “instructors” at the graduation ceremony, a guy who was never military, and after two minutes of talking to him I just wanted to ask “Brah, are you an operationally operative operator who operates all over this AO or just a retard mall ninja who couldn’t get past MEPS because of asthma and a bad attitude?”

I’m generally not pro-LEO. I don’t think I’ve ever met a cop I’ve liked, but a cop on a traffic stop alone, when the driver has pulled off to a secluded spot after ignoring lights, sirens, and loudspeaker requests to pull over immediately, yeah, I would err on the side of caution if I were him, and I’d have a thing or two to say to the driver, just like this cop.

Not rolling the window down, opening the door, getting out of the car without being instructed (Who doesn’t know that when the cop says put the keys on the roof, the cop means reach your arm up to the roof from a sitting position and set the keys there?), these are danger signs for the cop.

I’ve seen videos where cops got shot or things turned violent, and they all start with minor disruptive behaviors that continue to escalate. The driver ramped up the cop’s legitimate concerns and I have to say, I don’t blame the cop for being a little pissy.

The cop didn’t abuse his power — he ticketed the guy and sent him on his way. We’ve all read stories about where people have been detained for long periods, drug-sniffing dogs have been called, cars have been searched. There have been cases where cops arrested people for driving long distances after being requested to pull over. This cop didn’t do anything but his job. Guy was driving more than 20mph over the speed limit.

The cop is the one most risking his life on the side of the busy highway. If he wants you to pull over right away, do it — its his call.

If you think it may be a fake officer, call 911 from your car and verify with the local dispatcher. Then everyone’s on the same page.

My point here is that this guy is an unprofessional buffoon. I’m not a cop hater at all, in fact I have six of them on my street and we hang out together, hit the range together, go to BJJ together. However, I’m going to call bad behavior when I see it no matter who is engaging in that behavior.

As I said the guy shouldn’t have gotten out of the car, but when people are stressed they do funny things that might not make perfect sense to an outside observer or even make sense to them in retrospect. And yes, the guy is clearly being a dick to the cop. However, that officer is a civil servant and if he can’t give the public service with a smile then he should look for employment elsewhere. I get it, he’s a bit heated about this whole situation, but if you can’t handle someone driving at the speed limit to find a safe place to pull over without losing your s&^t and flying off the handle then you’re wound too tight for a job where you carry a gun. If this guy was a mall cop or an armed security guard nearly no-one would be taking his side.

This whole encounter is just out-and-out unprofessional. If this guy is so paranoid that he can’t be civil then he needs to find a new line of work. It’s not like someone puts a gun to his head and makes him be a cop. There is no reason for him to be yelling at this guy after the guy gets back in the car and the whole “I won’t give you my name” thing should be just cause for firing his rear. In every state I’ve lived in this great country of ours it is 100% legal to proceed at the speed limit to a place you think is safe(r) when being pulled over by the police. If you’re doing this for your safety or the safety of the officer or both is immaterial. It’s legal, and cops shouldn’t get all ticked off about people doing legal things.

If he’s legitimately worried that they’re coming up with a plan to kill him he should use his radio and call for backup. In fact, I call shenanigans on the whole claim because if he was worried he would have called for backup, which he clearly didn’t. If he put out a radio call that he was concerned he was going to be killed by the people in this car he would have had numerous cops practically flying to his location and would have been told not to approach until they were there.

“Mad Dog” Mattis summed it up perfectly: “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

The driver of this car is a douche. First thing I notice is the siren blaring and he’s still driving like nothing is going on. I’ve been pulled over at least a dozen times and NEVER has the cop used (or had to use) his siren. How long did these dumb asses drive after being lit up? I like the girls comment, “would you want your daughter to pull over in the fast lane?” No you dumb c##t, I’d want her to get in the right lane and then pull over! It just doesn’t take ten minutes to do it.

Drew (et. al) bring up the topic of being disarmed. I have thought long and hard about this one. Regardless of whether we’re talking about a traffic stop or any other LEO interaction I really don’t want my firearm removed from it’s holster for any reason. I certainly don’t want to put my hand on it and get shot. I certainly don’t want the LEO removing it where I no longer have control of it. I have no clue what the officer’s experience level is with firearms. How is best to handle this situation? Both the LEO and I are 100% safe as long as we both keep our weapons cased. Once handling begins, bad things can happen. Thoughts?

Best advice I ever got other than the obvious ones (visible hands, be polite, etc.) was to understand that interacting with an officer, who has no idea who you are, on the side of the road at 11 at night is NOT the time to be a social warrior and make a statement. Render the situation as safe as possible for all involved and make a case later on in court if you feel you were unjustly treated.

I like to say as little as possible while being polite as possible and expediting a routine stop so we can all be on our way… then I’ll go home and rant against the State to my wife without risk of getting a beat down. I think it’s important for us who distrust the state and sometimes officers to remember that we need to respect the dangerous position they’re in when they stop someone.

My long term solution would be to get rid of the 876,000 possible administrative type traffic infractions any motorist in America risks and thereby dramatically decrease officer/citizen enforcement interactions. Then I would privatize police forces [COUGH!].

The driver was an idiot. You have to drive for quite a while before an officer with get on his pa system to tell you to pull over. This idiot did that and then kept driving. There are long distances between exits on interstates and if your dumb enough and scared enough not to pull over on an interstate shoulder then you have to expect the cop to be more than a little annoyed when he comes up to your car. And then to use the excuse that you just got your windows tinted, and willing to bet illegally dark to boot, and get out of your car, which is rule number one not to do is doubly stupid. Then the two retards gets pissy and start with the name and badge number trick. If I was the officer i might not have been as understanding as this one was. Kind of surprised he didnt make then sit in their car till another officer could get there before approaching.

I would be courteous enough to announce that the requested documents are in my pocket/console/glove box and that I’m reaching to said location. Beyond this I’m not much inclined to volunteer information. If my firearm is off-body it does NOT get stowed with my paperwork. It gets its own space. If they’re not clever enough to appreciate that I’m announcing any movement while taking care to keep hands high and visible then fuck ’em.